Paper drill back gauge



Oct. 25, 1966 D. P. WESTRA 3,230,560

PAPER DRILL BACK GAUGE Filed Sept. 21, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. fig, 6. 244/ P. M-srea ATTORNEYS Oct. 25, 1966 D. P. WESTRA 3,280,660

PAPER DRILL BACK GAUGE Filed Sept. 21, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. N; 914 2 #567764 Q BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,280,660 PAPER DRILL BACK GAUGE Dan P. Westra, Grand Haven, MlClL, assignor to The Challenge Machinery Company, Grand Haven, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Sept. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 397,825 10 Claims. (Cl. 77--5) This invention relates to machines for performing repeat operations on stock at dimensional intervals, especially paper drill equipment, and more particularly to a novel back gauge for such, and to a combination back gauge and trip release mechanism on a paper drill.

For accurate alignment of paper on the table of a paper drill, a back gauge having a movable guide cooperative with adjustable stop means is utilized. A conventional back gauge assembly, to be eifective, is fairly complex and relatively expensive to manufacture and assemble. The parts must be separately formed and subsequently assembled and aligned.

Back gauge equipment is normally one of two types, manual or automatic. The latter type is more advantageous, but is also far more expensive. The use of the lower cost manual type involves .a definite production output limit due to the fact that a minimum number of manual manipulations of the components is necessary for accurate operation, and each takes a definite amount Of time.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved back gauge structure that is greatly simplified in construction and therefore substantially less expensive than the conventional types available.

Another object of this invention is to provide a unique, integral back gauge extrusion mount that is simpler, less expensive, and more aesthetically appealing. It is also more rugged in its integral construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a back gauge effecting simplified operation for a paper drill, enabling greater production output than conventional manual types.

Another object of this invention is to provide a back gauge effecting semi-automatic operation, by the use of a unique trip mechanism for the guide assembly. Each operation of the paper drill automatically releases the trip in a unique fashion so that one hand of the operator need only push the guide repeatedly to the next stop rather than first manipulating a release mechanism and then shifting the guide from each stop.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an automatic trip arm release from each back gauge stop, using motion of the spindle itself in a unique engagement for release action of the novel tripping mechanism.

These and several other objects of this invention will become apparent upon studying the following specification in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drill assembly employing the novel back gauge in in unique cooperation therewith;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the novel back gauge assembly;

Fig 3 is a plan view of the back gauge assembly;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the back gauge assmbly, taken from the direction IV in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembly in FIG. 1 shown during trip release;

FIG. 6 is a perspective rear view of the apparatus in FIGS. 1 and 5; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, plan, fragmentary view of the trip assembly in FIG. 3.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the complete drill and back gauge assembly 10 (FIG. 1) includes ree the basic combination of a paper drill sub-assembly 12 and the back gauge sub-assembly 14.

The paper drill sub-assembly includes the conventional components of an electric motor 16 and a motor mount bracket assembly 18, both above a support table 20, and all mounted on a suitable base casting 22 (FIG. 6). The motor drives a drill spindle 24 for a paper drill 26. The spindle assembly can be raised and lowered by sliding the four bracket collars 28 and 30, arid 28' and 30' surrounding on the fixed cylindrical vertical posts 29 and 29 respectively.

A pair of coil springs 31 and 31' between this motor mount bracket and the table 20 hold the spindle assembly normally raised. The assembly can be lowered against the bias of these springs by a manual hand lever arrangement, a foot operated lever arrangement, an hydraulic power pack assembly or other known drive devices for drills. In the form of the device shown a hand operated manual lever arrangement is shown which includes a pull-down lever 34 mounted on and extending radially from a shaft 35 pivotally mounted in bracket 18. Extending rearwardly and radially from this shaft is an ear 37. A rod 39 has its upper end affixed to the outer end of car 37 and its lower end affixed to the base casting. Thus pulling down on hand lever 34 rotates shaft 35 to raise car 37, and cause depression of the motor mount bracket and thus the spindle assembly With respect to posts 29 and 29. Springs 31 and 31' return it upwardly.

Mounted to collar 30 thereof, is a collar 42. A vertical rod 40 has its upper end mounted in collar 42, and has a pair of cooperative spring fingers 44 on the lower end. These fingers are preferably integral parts of a U-shaped spring clip. These cooperate with a trip bracket arm 48 in a manner to be described hereinafter.

The back gauge assembly 14 includes a basic support or mount 50 which is an elongated aluminum extnusion having a pair of parallel channels or grooves 52 and 54 extending between its ends. This back guage support is secured to table 20' by suitable means, for example, by clamps 56 and 58 on its opposite lower ends. In channel 52 is a plurality of settable slide guide stops 60, each of which can be loosened and adjusted lengthwise of channel 52 to a particular pre-selected position. Each stop has a dove-tail shaped lower end (FIG. 4) slidably inserted in the dove-tailed channel or slot 52, so that upon tightening of the set screw, the stop can be anchored securely alongside one of the indicator lines 64.

Channel 54 comprises a slide channel to receive the side guide slide 66. This slide is basically cylindrical in configuration to fit in into cylindrical channel 54. Mountedon this side guide slide is the assembled guide arm and tni-p assembly. More specifically, mounting block 68 is secured to the top of slide 66. It has extending laterally therefrom a shaft 70, to the end of which is mounted a roller chassis 72. This chassis rollably supports a side guide roller 74, and supports a paper stop or side guide face element 76 at the forward edge thereof. Both are above platform or table 20. Roller 74 rolls across the table parallel to the extrusion mounting when slide 66 is moved along its channel 54.

Extending rearwardly from mounting block 68 is a pin 78 which includes an enlarged collar 80 secured thereto by a pin, and a knob 88 spaced from the collar. Pivotally mounted on this pin is a trip assembly including a transverse, .p-ivotal trip finger or lever 82 between the knob and collar and normal to the axis of channels 52 and 54. Knob 88 and collar 80 are spaced with respect to each other a few thousandths of an inch greater than the Width of lever finger 82 to allow it slight lateral play as indicated in exaggerated manner by the phantom and solid lines in FIG. 7. Lever 82 has an opening to receive pin 78. This opening is enlarged on the collar side to receive a compression coil spring 90. This spring is retained between and bears against collar 80 and the innerface of the enlarged recess. This compressed spring normally retains lever 82 flush against the face of knurled knob 88, as shown by thephantom line position of the lever in FIG. 7 Abutment of face 92 of lever 82, however, with shifting of the side guide slide shifts lever 82 to the solid line position illustrated in FIG. 7, where it is cocked against the bias of spring 90, diagonally between the two inner faces of collar 80 and knob 88. Release of finger 82 from the adjacent stop, e.g. 60',

by pivoting the lever on its pin 78, allows spring 90 to shift the lever back to its normal position illustrated by the phantom lines.

This release, achieved by pivoting finger 82 on pin 78, may bedone by manual depression of the forward end of the lever by pushing on finger surface 96, or by otherwise tilting or pivoting lever 82 on its mounting pin. Preferably it is done automatically with raising of the drill spindle as explained hereinafter. With this release of the finger, it shifts a few thousandths of an inch from alignmentwith the face of the stop to a position directly above the apex of the stop as in the phantom lines in FIG. 7. Since the back surface of each stop is diagonally downwardly oriented, this release enables the stop finger to slide down the stop, along the extrusion, and to the next stop, e.g. 60, when the assemblyv is pushed to the left with manual effort.

Trip finger 82 can also be and is preferably released by pivtotally raising the elongated U-shaped trip bracket 100 which has a pair of ends 102 and 104 mounted on rollers 106 and 108 afiixed in channel 54. In the form of the structure illustrated, channels 52 and 54 are foreshortened by machining a transverse sectionout as indicated. The extrusion could be shortened this amount if the table accommodates its mounting, or the U-shaped bracket could be extended to the extreme ends for attachment. It includes a trip bracket arm 48 which extends transversely and rearwardly of the bracket beneath spring fingers 44. Hence, by lifting trip bracket arm 48, bracket 100 is pivoted on its end mountings to contact the underside of the extended end of trip finger 82, thereby lifting it on its pivot pin 78 so that its lower edge is above the top of "the adjacent stop e.g. 60', thereby enabling spring 90 to cock it over the top of the stop so :that it can be manually slid to the next stop. This lifting is done by engagement of the spring clip with the arm 48 when the hand lever is lowered and raised again. Complete raising of the hand lever releases the spring fingers 44 from arm 48 since upward movement of arm 48 is limited by a stop 1.16 which abuts the lower surface of mount 50 (FIG. 6).

This enables the trip lever 82 to abut the next pre-set stop 60 rather than moving over it.

In operation, the novel back guideis mounted to the table by attaching brackets 56 and 58 on opposite ends of the wooden table. is attached to the vertically movable carriage of the lever airrn assembly. Stops 60, 60', etc. are positioned at appropriate indicia intervals along the extrusion mounting for the particular job encountered. The side guide assembly is manually shifted to the left as viewed .in FIGS. 2 and 3, until the face 92 of trip finger 82 abuts the first stop e.g. 60'. This cocks the finger, shifting it from its dotted line position to its solidline position in FIG. 7. Then, the paper P is positioned beneath drill assembly 26, and pushed against the side guide face element 76 for accurate alignment with the drill. Then the pull-down lever 34 is grasped and pivoted on its pull-down rod 35 to lower the drill assembly by leverage to form thefirst hole in the paper. Upon lowering of the motor mount bracket assembly, rod 48 and spring fingers 44 are lowered so that spring fingers resiliently spread an clip around the extended trip bracket arm 48.

Also, the spring clip raising device.

Upon raising of the pull-down lever assembly, this spring clip raises arm 48, thereby pivoting bracket 100 around its mounts 106 and 108 to lift trip finger 82 on its pivot pin. This releases it from its cocked position due to the action of compression spring to shift the trip finger to the top of its adjacent stop. Subsequently, withfurther raising of the motor and spindle assembly spring fingers 44 release from arm 48 due to abutment of stop 116 (FIG. 6) against the lower surface of extension mounting 50. The trip bracket drops to its lowered position because of its weight.

Thus, a workman, by pushing to the left on the trip assembly, causes it to ride down the back of each stop and into abutment with the front face of the next stop with each raising of the spindle. The entire processis repeated with each drilled hole. The operation is semiautomatic, in that the stop and trip mechanism are released witheach lowering and raising of the lever arm assembly. This operation therefore eliminates. the manual stop release operation and makes it automatic. Production can therefore be increased substantially over prior type units.

Even if this mechanism is released manually by depressing on finger releaser 96, to pivot finger 82, it only need be released and pushed with one hand since finger 82 automatically shifts to thetop of the stop.

Further, the novel extrusion with its negative channels interfitted with the insert slides and stops is a relatively inexpensive construction compared to the complex as seinblies utilized heretofore. It is readily installed and presents no alignment problems.

Several additional advantages of this structure will probably occur to those skilled in the field, upon studying the specific foregoing preferred form of the invention. Also, it is conceivable that certain details of construction could be modified to suit particular applications, methods of manufacture, size of equipment, degree of automation, etc. The back gauge could even be employed with other types of equipment, such as paper cutters, to name one example, in its broader aspects.

These obvious variations, if within the inventive concept presented, are therefore deemed to be part of this invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and the reasonable equivalents thereto.

I claim:

1. A back gauge for attachment to the flat table of a machine for repeatedly operating on stock at dimensional intervals comprising: an integral, elongated, extrusion bar, having an upper surface and a fiat, table contacting under surface, attachment means to fixedly attach said bar to the table; a pair of first and second parallel channels in said bar; each. of said channels having an elongated opening slot in said upper surface and having an undercut portion of greater width than said slot; a plurality of independent, shiftable, spaced stops, each having a foot retained in said first chanel; a slide guide having an elongated rod slidably retained in said second channel for movement of said guide therealong and adjacent said stops, a trip shiftably mounted on said slide guide and extending transverse to said second channel across said first chanel for abutment of said stops individually, and release means on said trip for release from said stops.

2. A back gauge for attachment to the flat table of a machine for repeatedly operating on stock at dimen sional intervals, comprising: an integral, elongated, slotted,

mount extrusion; said mount having a table contacting under surface and means to attach said mount extrusion fixedly to the table; a pair for parallel elongated channels in the upper surface of said mount extrusion between the ends thereof; a plurality of individual stops, each having a lower portion interfitting in and interlockable with one of said channels, and having a projecting upper portion with a stop surface; a movable guide arm assembly having a slide element slidably retained in the other channel to guide said assembly, and including a stock contact element and a trip arm; said trip arm being positioned to normally abut said stop surfaces of said stops, and being shiftable on said guide arm assembly to release from each stop for contact with another stop with sliding of said assembly.

3. A back gauge for attachment to the flat table of a machine for repeatedly operating on stock at dimensional intervals, comprising: an integral, elongated, metal extrusion; a plurality of settable stops, and a movable slide guide; said extrusion having a table contacting under surface; teams to clamp said extrusion to a table; an elongated integral stop retention surface means between the ends of said extrusion and said stops having cooperative portions slidably interfitting therewith and retained thereagainst; said extrusion also having an elongated slide guide retention surface means between the ends of said extrusion, parallel to said stop retention surface means, and interfitting slidably with said slide guide; said slide guide having a trip lever transverse to said elongated extrusion, and pivotally mounted on said slide guide on a pivotal axis parallel to said extrusion; said trip lever having portions extending adjacent said stops for abutment therewith and being releasable therefrom by pivoting of said lever.

4. A paper dn'll back gauge comprising an integral, elongated mount; a plurality of settable stops, and a movable slide guide; said mount having a table contacting under surface; an elongated integral stop retention means between the ends of said mount, and said stops having cooperative portion adjustably interfitting therewith; said mount also having an elongated slide guide retention means between the ends of said mount, parallel to said stop retention means, and interfitting slidably with said slide guide; said slide guide having a trip arm transverse to said elongated mount, and pivotally mounted on said slide guide on an axis parallel to said mount; said trip lever having portion extending adjacent said stops, one at a time, for abutment therewith and being releasable therefrom by pivoting of said trip lever to raise the lever to a level above the top of said stops; cocking means between said trip lever and other portions of said slide guide mounted to cock said trip lever upon release from abutment with a stop, to shift said lever over the top of the stop.

5. A back gauge comprising: an elongated mount, a plurality of independent adjustable stops along said mount, and a slide guide retained in engagement with said mount and movable along said stops; said slide guide including a trip lever extending therefrom with portions in abutting elation with said stops, individually; said trip lever being pivotally mounted on a pivot connection on said slide guide, allowing pivotal raising of said lever portions to a level above the top of an adjacent stop for release therefrom; said pivot connection having slight play allowing limited movement of said trip lever gene-rally toward and away from said stops; biasing means normally biasing said t-rip lever toward an individual stop in a cocking action; the abutment of said trip lever with a stop restraining said biasing means; and said lever release allowing the biasing means to shift said portions to a position directly above said stop to ride thereoff to the next stop.

6. A paper drill comprising: a table, a vertically movable spindle mounting bracket and guide means therefor; a spindle assembly mounted on said bracket; a spindle shifting *means to shift said assembly vertically toward said table, including a spindle lever operatively associated with said spindle assembly and pivotally mounted to move from a raised position to a lowered position with lowering of said spindle assembly; a back gauge mounted on said table including an elongated mount, a plurality of independent adjustable stops along said mount, and

a slide guide retained on said mount and movable along said stops; said slide guide including a trip lever extending therefrom with portions in abutting relation with respect to said stops, individually; said trip lever being pivotally mounted on a pivotal connection, allowing pivotal raising of said portions above said stops for release theerefrom; said pivotal connection having sufficient clearance for slight play of said tri-p lever thereon; means biasing said trip lever toward an individual stop in a cocking action, the abutment of said trip lever with a stop restraining said biasing means, and said release allowing the biased cocking to shift said portions to a position above said stops to ride thereoff to the next stop; shiftable means on said mount in abutting lifting relation to said trip lever; and releasable gripping means depending from said spindle lever and having portions engageable with said shiftable means for lifting said shiftable means and said trip lever to release and cock it for sliding to the next stop.

7. A paper drill comprising: a table; a vertically movable spindle mounting bracket and guide means therefor; a spindle assembly mounted on said bracket; spindle shifting means to shift said assembly vertically on said base toward said table, including a spindle lever operatively associated with said spindle assembly and pivotally mounted to move from a raised position to a lowered position with lowering of said spindle assembly; a back gauge mounted on said table including an elongated mount, a plurality of independent adjustable stops along said mount, and a slide guide retained on said mount and movable along said stops; said slide guide including a trip lever extending therefrom with portions in abutting relation with respect to said stops, individually; said trip lever being pivotally mounted on a pivotal connection, allowing pivotal raising of said portions above said stops for release therefrom; said pivotal connection having s'ufficient clearance for slight play of said trip lever thereon; means biasing said trip lever toward an individual stop in a cocking action, the abutment of said trip lever with a stop restraining said biasing means, and said release allowing the biased cocking to shift said portions to a position above said stops to ride t-hereolf to the next stop; a shiftable trip bracket in abutting lifting relation to said trip lever; releasable spring finger gripping means depending from said spindle lever and having portions engageable with said shiftable means for lifting said shiftable means and said trip lever to release and cock it for sliding to the next stop; said trip bracket including stop means engageable with said elongated mount with partial lifting of said gripping means to force isengagement of said gripping means from said trip bracket with further raising of said gripping means.

8. A paper drill comprising: a table; a vertically movable spindle mounting bracket and guide means therefor; a spindle assembly mounted on said bracket; spindle shifting means to shift said assembly vertically on said base toward said table, including a spindle lever operatively associated with said spindle assembly and pivotally mounted to move from a raised position to a lowered position with lowering of said spindle assembly; a back gauge mounted on said table including an elongated mount, a plurality of independent adjustable stops along said mount, and a slide guide retained on said mount and movable along said stops; said slide guide including a trip lever extending therefrom with portions in abutting relation with respect to said stops, individually; said trip lever being pivotally mounted on a pivotal connection, allowing pivotal raising of said portions above said stops for release therefrom; a shiftable trip bracket in abutting lifting relation to said trip lever; releasable spring finger gripping means depending from said spindle lever and having portions engageable with said shiftable means for lifting said shiftable means and said trip lever to release it for sliding to the next stop; said trip bracket including stop means engageable with said elongated mount with partial lifting of said gripping means to force disengagement of said gripping means from said trip bracket with further raising of said gripping means.

9. A machine for operating on paper stock and the like, comprising: a stock supporting table; forming means above said table movable vertically toward and away from said table; shiftable actuator means operably associated with said forming means to move it; a back gauge on said table including an elongated mount, a plurality of independent adjustable stops along said mount, and a slide guide retained on said mount and movable along said stops; said slide guide including a trip lever extending therefrom with portions in abutting relation with respect to said stops, individually; said trip lever being movably mounted, allowing raising of said portions above said stops for release therefrom; shiftable trip means in abutting relation to said trip lever; releasable gripping rneans operably associated with said actuator means to shift and having portions engageable with said shiftable trip means for raising said shiftable trip means and said trip lever to release it for sliding to the next stop; and stop means operably associated with said shiftable trip means limiting its vertical movement to less than said gripping means to force release of said gripping means from said shiftable trip means for return thereof to its initial position.

10. The machine in claim 9 wherein said trip lever is pivotally mounted on a pivot connection, allowing pivotal raising of said portions above said stops for release therefrom; said pivotal connection having suflicient clearance for slight play of said trip lever thereon; spring means biasing said trip lever toward an individual stop in a cocking action; the abutment of said trip lever with a stop restraining said spring means, and said release allowing the biased cocking of said trip lever to shift said portions to a position above said stops to ride thereoff to the next stop. 1

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 691,715 1/1902 Dood 83-467 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,106,747 7/1955 France.

FRANCIS S. I-IUSAR, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BACK GAUGE FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE FLAT OF A MACHINE FOR REPEATEDLY OPERATING ON STOCK AT DIMENSIONAL INTERVALS COMPRISING: AN INTEGRAL, ELONGATED, EXTRUSION BAR, HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE AND A FLAT, TABLE CONTACTING UNDER SURFACE, ATTACHMENT MEANS TO FIXEDLY ATTACH SAID BAR TO THE TABLE; A PAIR OF FIRST AND SECOND PARALLEL CHANNELS IN SAID BAR; EACH OF SAID CHANNELS HAVING AN ELONGATED OPENING SLOT IN SAID UPPER SURFACE AND HAVING AN UNDERCUT PORTION OF GREATER WIDTH THAN SAID SLOT; A PLURALITY OF INDEPENDENT, SHIFTABLE, SPACED STOPS, EACH HAVING A FOOT RETAINED IN SAID FIRST CHANEL; A SLIDE GUIDE HAVING AN ELONGATED ROD SLIDABLY RETAINED IN SAID SECOND CHAN- 